![\"Health](\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/12\/HandS-Con-Header.jpg\")
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December 21, 2023 — <\/em>When COVID shut down much of the world, it also had a devastating impact on PEF\u2019s health and safety committees at worksites and agencies across the state.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hopefully, that\u2019s about to change.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For the first time since 2018, PEF and the State held a joint Health & Safety Conference from December 11 to 13 in Saratoga, bringing together management and labor for three days of workshops, guest speakers, and more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n PEF Article 18 Co-Chairs Conrad Davis and Leisa Abraham welcomed attendees and talked about their plans for the coming year.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMany worker protection programs were born out of the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911,\u201d said Davis. \u201cUnions were a big part of that fight for safety on the job. But we can\u2019t do it alone \u2013 labor and management need to partner to get things done. We are here to support you and to make sure that you have all the resources you need to get your local Health and Safety Committees up and running.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Abraham urged attendees to take full advantage of what the conference had to offer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt can be overwhelming if you don\u2019t know where to start,\u201d she said. \u201cLike many of you, I am also a new health and safety chair, and I am excited about the programs you will be attending here \u2013 make the most of it!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n PEF Director of Health and Safety Geraldine Stella gave an overview of the program.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are here because COVID decimated our local Health and Safety Committee network,\u201d she said. \u201cThis conference program was built around giving you the tools you need to rebuild. Our plenary sessions will help you identify where you have committees, where you need them, and how to recruit for them.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur workshops cover everything from basic health and safety committees, workplace violence programs, how to work with different generations, active shooter training and more,\u201d Stella said. \u201cOur theme is \u2018Health and Safety Superheroes \u2013 Stronger Together!\u2019 You are the next health and safety superheroes.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n President Spence kicks off the night<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n President Wayne Spence said the world has changed since the last time management and PEF leaders gathered for this conference.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen we were here last time, we did not know the term COVID,\u201d he said. \u201cHow the world has changed. Who would have imagined we\u2019d be here talking about training how to deal with an active shooter? It\u2019s now become a part of life. We have to evolve.\u00a0 We must come together.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Spence told a story from his own past that illustrates how vital it is to pursue change.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy partner and I were taking a parolee into detention and she was pregnant. A corrections officer started screaming, \u2018Why is a pregnant officer bringing a person into my jail?\u2019 He said, \u2018Get her out of here,\u2019\u201d Spence recalled. \u201cWhen I say she was pregnant, she was very pregnant. Her vest barely covered her stomach.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n They ended up calling in another officer to handle the transfer, but Spence said the corrections officer schooled him in how corrections handles pregnant officers. It made an impact and Spence took it upon himself to begin researching the issue in the parole division. One thing he found striking: water amplifies sound. So, when you fire a gun around a pregnant woman, the fetus is exposed to not just the gunfire, but amplified gun fire.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think was happening when a pregnant officer was going to the range?\u201d he said. \u201cWe must have ear protection when we go to the range. That fetus doesn\u2019t have ear protection.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He got involved with his local Health and Safety Committee in the Parole Division and took the issue directly to management. \u201cThe PEF Health and Safety Department guided me on how to fight for safety on the job.\u201d Taking his research up the chain, to legislators and the media, he finally saw change when he reached the commissioner. \u201cDon\u2019t accept no,\u201d he said. \u201cLet\u2019s not wait for change, let\u2019s do action.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Spence also recognized the more than 60 state managers in attendance.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt is just as important for management representatives to work in a safe environment as it is for PEF members,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m told that more managers signed up for this conference than ever before. That\u2019s a tribute to you and the realization that we must work together to ensure that every worker is protected on the job.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Guest speaker talks Long COVID<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n President Spence welcomed <\/span>New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF)<\/span><\/a> Executive Director and CEO Gaurav Vasisht to the podium to talk about NYSIF and its commitment to researching Long COVID.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Vasisht noted that NYSIF\u2019s study of Long COVID ties directly to its public mission to protect workers and its deep roots in labor.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNYSIF emerged from tragedy,\u201d Vasisht said, referring to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911, \u201cin which 146 workers perished \u2013 mostly women, mostly girls, mostly immigrants.\u201d The fire, noted as the worst factory fire in the history of New York City, led to the enactment of the New York State law that created NYSIF.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Earlier this year, NYSIF published the result of a study analyzing its COVID-19 workers\u2019 compensation claims data. The analysis found that almost one-third (31%) of COVID claimants met the report\u2019s criteria for Long COVID.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe realized we had access to information \u2013 the data \u2013 that could help piece together a more meaningful picture of this very puzzling condition,\u201d Vasisht said. \u201c<\/span>We studied more than 3,000 established COVID-19 workers\u2019 compensation claims <\/span><\/a>. What did we find?… Most fundamentally, Long COVID is real.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Additional findings indicated that some workers returned to work within 60 days but were still receiving treatment. Others were unable to get back to work for more than a year. Some, like women and older adults, were more likely to develop Long COVID, as were those with comorbidities and those who had been hospitalized because of the severity of their COVID infection.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe implications are vast,\u201d Vasisht said. \u201cThey involve individuals and households. They involve employers of all geographies and sectors. And they involve the labor market and the economy at large.\u201d This leads to unemployment, loss of income, medical skepticism, stigma, and loss of productivity. It also warrants a further review of how Long COVID may be depressing the labor participation rate,\u201d Vasisht added.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of work to be done,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019 s so much to learn about Long COVID.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Employees also needs to understand when they should file claims and how to do it. <\/span>PEF offers information on its website to help members navigate the system<\/span><\/a>. Stella said PEF does not get notified when a claim for workers\u2019 compensation is filed and urged PEF members to contact the union at <\/span>healthandsafety@pef.org<\/span><\/a> if they or their co-workers have been hurt on the job.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Following Vasisht\u2019s remarks, a panel of experts presented on workers\u2019 compensation basics. The panel included Robert Grey, Esq., Managing Partner for Grey and Grey LLP, a law firm that represents injured workers, Workers\u2019 Compensation Ombudsman Joe Cavalcante and Civil Service Specialist Vincent DePaul, along with Ed Cottrell from the New York State Office of Employee Relations and Geraldine Stella from PEF.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Roundtable discussion \u2013 Superhero Teams – Tools for Successful Partnerships<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A panel of state and union leaders continued the discussion, talking about best practices for successful health and safety committees.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The panel featured Leisa Abraham, Psychologist, Finger Lakes OPWDD, PEF Article 18 Co-Chair; Conrad Davis, Auditor, Tax & Finance, PEF Article 18 Co-Chair; Ed Cottrell, Office of Employee Relations (OER), Article 18 Co-Chair; Lindsay Bonanza, Teacher, Mohawk Correctional Facility, Article 18 Committee member; John Greening, Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) Safety and Health Director; Bob Rafferty, Office of General Services (OGS) Director, Health, Safety, and Security; Bryce Therrien, Office of Mental Health BER Assistant Director and Multi-Union Health & Safety Committee Co-Chair; Geraldine Stella, PEF Health & Safety Director; and Mark Stipano, CSEA Industrial Hygiene Specialist<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Cottrell said cooperation between management and labor is vital to a safe and healthy workplace.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cManagement can\u2019t be everywhere,\u201d he said. \u201cBringing items to their attention benefits everyone. No one is on an island and collaboration can only benefit the agency.\u201d He added \u201cWe may agree to disagree, but we always have the utmost respect for PEF.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Bonanza pointed out that even when labor does bring issues to the table, they aren\u2019 always given proper attention.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHealth and safety has always been at the bottom of the agenda,\u201d she said. \u201cWe need to give it the importance it deserves. Part of it is that everyone is busy, doing more with less, and most labor\/management meetings are contentious. Very often the attitude in the room is not positive by the time you get to health and safety.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe health and safety of your workers should be No. 1,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are striving to make this friendly and bring everyone together.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rafferty, from OGS, said many health and safety complaints he sees are physical plant and infrastructure-related and they are often specific to a location. Working with health and safety committees and management, his office tries to field all complaints for more than 60 state office buildings and the additional leases and associated landlords.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n From OMH, Therrien said there is a lot of data available to bring to the table, such as SH900 reports, which are forms that the state uses to log incidents and injuries. \u201cI use all the information I have,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to use it to make employees safer.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The bottom line<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Attorney Robert Grey of Grey & Grey, LLC, spoke about the importance of worker\u2019s compensation when safety at work fails. Using a humorous meme-filled PowerPoint presentation, Grey pointed out the difficulties of navigating the worker\u2019s compensation system and the high cost of worker injuries.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBenefits are the same whether it\u2019s the worker\u2019s fault, the employer\u2019s fault, a third party\u2019s fault, or nobody\u2019s fault,\u201d Grey said. \u201cGood safety and health programs are win-win for employers and workers.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Grey\u2019s firm was a Super Hero Sponsor of a networking hour for labor and management to get out of their silos and learn from each other.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe topics for the conference are so important, but intense,\u201d said PEF Vice President Randi DiAntonio. \u201cIt was great to have that time to network with other labor and management attendees, and Robert\u2019s use of humor was a welcome way to break up some of that intensity while still driving home the safety message.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Putting the skills into play<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On the final day of the conference, labor and management came together to tackle a health and safety issue using the Super Hero method they learned during two days of plenary sessions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Attendees created a superhero alter-ego, including a name, power, and weakness. As teams, they created a team name, selected a health and safety issue to solve, brainstormed how to use the team\u2019s superpowers to address the issue, and considered how to overcome the collective weaknesses.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The activity mirrors what a good health and safety committee in the workplace should look like and how it should function, using the strengths and understanding the weaknesses of committee members. Conference participants now have a steppingstone toward rebuilding (or building) their own health and safety committees.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Wayne](\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/12\/Wayne-HS.jpg\")
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